Before You Travel Checklist

From all of us at My Holiday Centre, we want to say Thank you! and Congratulations on booking your holiday with us While we have done most of the hard work for you, there are a few important things we would like to remind you to do. This information is especially handy if you are a first-time traveller overseas, or if you haven’t travelled in a while and are feeling a bit rusty!

We here at My Holiday Centre have done a lot of combined travel and research, so we’d like to share the most important things for you to know after you have made your booking:

Check theitinerary you receive via email. Print it out and go over it with a fine-tooth comb.

Ensure all names are spelt correctly as per the passport you will travel on, including ensuring that your married/maiden name has been updated for travel.

Make sure all dates and times correspond to what you have discussed with your travel consultant.

If you have any questions or concerns, speak to your travel consultant via phone or reply email, or our Customer Service team on 1300 642 642 right away.

No, really, look now and check. Don’t wait until a week or two before you depart. Mistakes are much easier to fix when they’re caught early on.

Confirm that your passport is valid for at least six months from the date of your return. If you don’t have a passport and are leaving Australia, now is the time to get one. If you are travelling only within Australia, you do not need a passport.

Purchase travel insurance. It isn’t the sexiest part of your holiday, but everyone knows someone who needed it and didn’t have it. If you aren’t sure where to start or why you need it, ask your My Holiday Centre consultant for a free quote with our partner QBE Insurance (AFSL 239545).

While we at My Holiday Centre have a record of your travels, other people might worry about you when you’re away. Registerat Smartraveller so if anything goes awry it’s easy to find where you are.

Speak to your doctor about any necessary vaccinations or travel medicines. While My Holiday Centre packages are all based in four and five-star resorts, if you have paired one of our deals with a week trekking in the jungles of Thailand your vaccination and medicinal needs will vary. Better safe than sorry!

Copy importantinformation such as your driver’s license and/or passport, travel visas, itinerary, etc. Keep a copy in a separate place to the originals and leave a copy with someone at home. Scan everything and save it in your email or somewhere you can access from overseas (Google Docs, Dropbox, etc.).

Copy credit card details and credit card contact information (including the toll-free or collect number on the back of your card) and let your bank know where you will be travelling so they don’t put a hold on your card. Scan everything and save it in your email or somewhere you can access from overseas (Google Docs, Dropbox, etc.).

We at My Holiday Centre mail out hard copies of your trip itinerary with any vouchers you need for your trip. Check all of the details again, then put these somewhere safe and easy to remember. There are replacement costs involved if these are lost.

What you receive is a copy of your flight schedule; this is not your ticket or boarding pass. Once you arrive at the airport you need to go to the airline desk and present them with this itinerary and your ID; they will print your boarding pass for you to take through security and board the plane.

Your carry-on and checked baggage allowance varies depending on the airline you fly with. Please look directly on the airline’s website or speak to your travel consultant if you do not know the limits. All My Holiday Centre packages include the minimum amount of checked baggage per person.

Carry-on restrictions differ for each country you visit and are stricter when flying to the USA (including Hawaii). A small bottle of water is generally okay when flying to countries outside of the USA. Before putting your bag through x-ray, remove your laptop and anything aerosol to speed up the process.

It is best practice to keep any necessary medications in their original containers for passing through customs.

One suggestion from experienced travellers is to pack a light change of clothes in your carry-on bag in the off-chance your luggage is slower to arrive at your destination than you are. At least you can shower at your resort and put on something fresh.

More questions? We really like this website. Even though some of the references are for staying in a hostel (number 7, for example) or booking everything yourself, it’s a good read and can relieve some concerns for a first time traveller.
Remember that we were all a first-time traveller at one point, so no question is too silly to ask! If we didn’t cover the basics here, please don’t hesitate to call us on 1300 642 642 and speak to a dedicated My Holiday Centre Customer Service Team Member who can give you all the answers you need.